CHAPTER 176

The bitterness that Ruth had for Magdalene's death was still fresh in her her heart yet Faith felt that in order to make people suffer, you need to put a smile on their faces. 

They all arrived at the case square in a few minutes since the case square was not far away from the mansion. As soon as they arrived, the vowing ceremony began. The master of ceremony claimed that they had not yet started the vowing ceremony since they were waiting for Ruth to arrive. 

" Please come and sit beside your husband woman. Your family is no longer your family alone but also your husband's family" said the master of ceremony smiling.

" No sir! I will sit there at the back with my family. Ryan and I only got engaged but we are not formal couple yet" said Ruth who held Naomi's and Faith's arm and therefore led them to sit at the back bench.

This made Ryan to be filled with lots of anger. His love for Ruth was no longer love but a terrible obsession. Ryan stood from his royal chair and went towards the back bench where Ruth was seated. As soon as Ryan arrived, he stretched his arms towards Ruth but Ruth did not seem to be concerned at all.

" What is it Ruth? Don't you want to go and sit on the royal chair close to your engaged man?" Asked Ryan filled with lots of anger.

" Ryan! I do not want us to cause a scene because of this. I want to spend my last days as an engaged woman with my family who are my sister and my mother. There is no better gift than this Ryan. So please! Let me be" said Ruth as she folded her arms and pleaded with Ryan.

Ryan silently left the back bench and went back to sit at the royal chair. Everyone at the case square were astonished by the sudden change of Ruth's behaviour wanting to distance herself from Ryan before the wedding day. 

" Clap! Clap ! Clap! Clap for the new case manager who is going to be appointed today. That person is none other than Nelly" said the master of ceremony as everybody clapped their hands filled with smiles on their faces.

The master of ceremony wanted to draw everyone's attention from the drama between Ruth and Ryan to the vowing ceremony that was about to take place.

He therefore signalled Nelly who was siting at one of the royal chairs to go and sit at the case manager chair. 

" I will now call on Ruth to be the one to annoint the new case manager as the good deed sister-in-law" said the master of ceremony.

" What? Why me? Is Vivian not her sister-in-law?" Asked Ruth pointing at Vivian who was seated at the royal chair. 

" A woman who has been ripped off her duties as the case manager cannot appoint another. You are possibly the one who is going to do that. You are the one who is going to appoint Nelly as the new case manager" said the master of ceremony pointing at Ruth. 

Ruth stood from her chair and immediately went and stood beside the master of ceremony. 

According to the rules of the land, she was supposed to go and stand beside Ryan who was her supposed husband. Ryan would therefore bless her and give her the authority to appoint Nelly as the new case manager. This clearly showed that she had not been taught on what she was going to do the previous day. This made the master of ceremony and everyone present at the case square to laugh at her iliteracy except for Naomi and Faith thus annoying her who seemed in deep state of confusion. 

" Please go and stand beside your husband. He will guide you through the necessary steps in order to complete this vowing ceremony" shouted the master of ceremony at Ruth after a few minutes. 

Ruth obidiently went and stood beside Ryan not knowing what to do. Ryan stood and tapped her head twice proving that he had given her the chance to go and appoint Nelly as the new case manager. Ryan also handed over the vowing quotes book to Ruth so as to hand the book over to Nelly. 

Ruth did not understand any of those either. This made her to still stand beside Ryan. 

" My beautiful wife. I have already given you the power to appoint Nelly as the new case manager. All I want you to do right now is to take this vowing quotes book and go towards Nelly. Hand over the book to her and apoint her as the new case manager by tapping her head thrice. I should have taught you all this yesterday night if you did not disappear and sedate my drinks with the help of your sister causing me to go into deep slumber. Please leave and do as I have instructed you or else you will be ashamed to what's coming to you the coming days" said Ryan as Ruth left the royal chamber and went towards Nelly who was eagerly waiting for her.

As soon as Ruth arrived, she handed over the book to Nelly and tapped Nelly's head twice. Unfortunately, the vowing book fell on Ruth's hand which made everybody to stand. The same thing happened a few years back when Vivian was made the case manager. Nelly was the one who handed over the vowing book to Nelly which fell on Nelly's feet but no pages of the book opened at all. 

Ruth's revalation changed since the pages of the book opened at exactly where Nelly was to open and say her vows. 

" Why has that happened? Does this mean that Ruth is the one who is going to be the case manager?" Shouted Riziki the head of the market women who was present at the case square.

Everybody at the case square nodded their head in disbelief whereas Nelly shook her head in disbelief. 

" No! Why should it be like that? The vowing book has just fallen on her feet and nothing else. What do you want to mean Riziki? Do you want to mean that Ruth is supposed to be the case manager and not me?" Asked Nelly a bit hesitant.

" No Nelly. I cannot be the case manager. This position is yours and you deserve it Nelly. You are really a good person and you will make a good judge in this town" said Ruth smiling as she picked the vowing book and handed it over to Nelly.

Nelly smiled as she took the book and raised her left arm as she tried to read through the letter written in the book. 

" My name is Nelly and I am the forth generation of the Mariana's origin which began in the year 1946. As I take this position to be the case manager, I promise to rule with lots of fairness. I promise to make sure that a thief is punished, a murderer is killed and cruel person is made to face cruel punishment. Mambo town should remain a fair town as it was invented by the origin of the first woman Mariana who happens to be my great-grandmother. Therefore, I will take into heart what I have promised and be a good judge with the help of Mariana's spirit. This is none other than the vowing ceremony of Nelly Marianna" said Nelly smiling as she closed the book. 

Everybody at the case square clapped their hands for Nelly for her new achievement. Nelly instead seemed sad. She still could not believe that she didn't hold the book firmly which fell on Ruth's feet. This made her to leave the vowing ceremony as tears welled down her eyes. Ruth was the only one who saw the sadness in her eyes and decided to follow her outside the case square.

" Stop following me. I need sometime alone" said Nelly who sensed that Ruth was following her as her obvious behaviour.

" Why Nelly? Everyone is waiting for you to finish the ceremony" said Ruth a bit worried. 

" Tell them that I will be there in a short while. After all, all what Riziki said when the vowing book fell on you was nothing but the truth. This means that I will not last long as the case manager which has always been my dream ever since I was a young child. I have always wanted to sit in the same seat that my great-grandma Mariana sat many years ago but now it seems different. Mariana want you to be the case manager. Please leave! I need sometime alone" Shouted Nelly to Ruth who ran away from the case square.

MARRIED AT SIXTEEN.